Changes in intestinal microbiota composition have been observed in many complex diseases. The composition of the microbiome is relatively stable, however, alterations can occur as a result of diet, immune-metabolic function, and genotype composition. This article raises awareness about the importance of these gut changes and how they can relate to diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, or allergic inflammation. The authors suggest that more research is needed to discover mechanisms that can restore symbiotic homeostasis.

With so many unanswered questions around the role of the gut as an immune organ, how can we use data, digital tools and citizen science to begin to build a “learning” autoimmune community?